Friendly Favor
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: After five miscarriages, Lily and Marshall ask best friend Robin to be their surrogate. Robin's decision will affect her relationship with new husband Barney. Barney/Robin, Marshall/Lily, Ted/Mother
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own How I Met Your Mother or anything related to the show.

* * *

Lily Aldrin and Marshall Eriksen had started trying for a baby in January 2009. Lily had surprisingly become pregnant in February. She miscarried in April.

The couple tried not to let the miscarriage affect them too much. They started trying again a few months later. In August, they conceived again. By October, Lily had suffered her second miscarriage.

"I just want a healthy baby," Lily had sobbed to Robin a few weeks after the second miscarriage. She had finally broken down over both of her miscarriages and just wanted to get through a pregnancy.

"I know you do, Lily," Robin had comforted. She was worried about her best friend. Robin hoped that they got to have the baby they so desperately wanted, even though she herself didn' t like babies or kids.

Marshall and Lily began trying again in January 2010. They conceived in March, but Lily miscarried for a third time in May. The doctor warned Marshall and Lily that she might never be able to carry a pregnancy to term, but they were determined to prove him wrong.

The couple conceived on their first try when they began trying again in July. Lily had her fourth miscarriage in September.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," Lily sobbed to Robin. She and Marshall desperately wanted a baby, and it just wasn't happening for them.

"Nothing's wrong with you. You'll get your baby eventually," Robin had soothed. She wasn't so sure about that, however. Four miscarriages obviously wasn't a good sign.

Marshall and Lily decided to wait awhile before trying. Four miscarriages in two years was just devastating, and they couldn't handle it anymore.

They decided to try to get pregnant again in 2012. They conceived for a fifth time in December of that same year, but tragedy struck them again. In February, Lily miscarried.

The fifth miscarriage finally made Lily decide to stop trying. It just wasn't worth the pain of getting pregnant again. Each time, she and Marshall had had hope that the pregnancy would last, only to have that hope ripped away from them.

They decided to look at other options. Lily had placed the blame on herself, and entered therapy to try and work on her grief over the miscarriages. The therapy was helping her, while Marshall threw himself into work.

"We could adopt," he told his wife. Adoption seemed like such a good idea, but Marshall wasn't sure if his wife would like the idea.

"Or we could use a surrogate," Lily replied. Adoption was a pretty good idea, but she didn't want to go through the stress of trying to get approved and everything that came after that.

"Where are we going to get a surrogate?" Marshall questioned. It was a good idea, and they had money. He _had _found the Loch Ness Monster, after all.

"There are a lot of women out there willing to be a surrogate mother," Lily explained. After the third miscarriage, she had looked up surrogacy just in case. Lily had never expected to miscarry two more times. She had still had hope at that point.

"Will you be able to handle that?" Marshall was worried about his wife. He was worried that she was suffering from clinical depression, but hadn't voiced that opinion yet.

Lily sighed. "I think I can handle it, Marshmallow." It would hurt to see another woman carrying her child, but she would get through it.

"Maybe we could ask Robin to do it," Marshall joked. Robin was still a firm believer on having no children, although she had changed her mind on marriage.

Lily gasped. She was seriously considering the idea. "We could ask her to do it," she suggested. Robin was one of her best friends, and watching someone carry her baby would hurt less that way.

"I was just joking. Do you think she'll agree?" Marshall questioned. He wasn't sure if Robin _would_ agree. Plus, it might be hard for her to give up the baby.

"We can make up a list of pros and cons and present it to her," Lily decided immediately. How could Robin argue against pros and cons when they were right in front of her face?

The couple began working on the list, and hoped that they could present it to Robin soon.

XXXXXXXX

Ted Mosby was exhausted. He and his wife Morgan were busy taking care of their newborn son Christopher. The three week old had been up all night before finally falling asleep. He had started crying again, and hadn't stopped.

"We're waiting years for another one," Morgan Mosby complained to her husband. She couldn't believe that she and Ted had been awake for nearly twenty-four hours. This was not fun.

"I'm right there with you," Ted agreed. At this moment, he had no idea why he and his wife had decided that having a baby was a good idea.

Wait a minute. Christopher had been conceived after he and Morgan had gotten drunk at Barney and Robin's wedding.

"Will you change him?" Morgan questioned. She was just going to go to sleep forever. That was a really good plan.

Ted reluctantly nodded and went to go get his son. "Hey kiddo," he murmured. Ted began to change his son's diaper.

Unfortunately, he forgot to leave the diaper over his son when he went to get the new one, and ended up getting pee all over his shirt.

"I should have expected that," Ted said. He finally changed the baby's diaper, and handed him back to his wife. Ted headed towards the shower. He felt really dirty now.

Ted and Morgan felt really guilty for having a healthy baby when Lily and Marshall had experienced so much loss. Both hoped that they got their much wanted baby soon.

XXXXXXX

Robin Scherbatsky-Stinson and her husband were watching TV. Both had taken off work today to just be together.

The couple had married ten months earlier, after finally becoming a couple in 2009. Barney had claimed that Robin was the only woman he had ever wanted to marry and that she was the love of his life. Robin had quickly agreed to marry him.

Robin and Barney had decided against children, but they knew that they could possibly change.

"What are we going to do this weekend?" Barney asked his wife. He hoped to go see James, his husband, and their son. He loved his nephew a lot.

Robin shrugged. "We can visit your brother if you want. I know how much you want to be Uncle Barney this weekend." Barney smiled at Robin and kissed her.

"I love you, Scherbatsky." He liked telling her that. With Shannon, he had told her, but she had never really meant it. He was really happy with Robin.

Robin smiled at him and snuggled close to her husband. "I love you too," she told him. Robin couldn't imagine life without Barney now.

Robin and Barney had no idea what Marshall and Lily were about to ask them. If they did, they wouldn't have spent the entire day making love and watching TV.

The group's lives were about to change, and group dynamics would be shifted.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own How I Met Your Mother or anything related to the show. I also don't own Friends.

Robin Scherbatsky-Stinson had just gotten off work. She was surprised to find out that her husband had made dinner for me. "Who would ever believe me about the fact that you're so romantic?" she questioned.

Barney laughed. "Nobody will believe you, Baby. I only show this side of me to you." He kissed his wife.

Robin smiled at him. "I love you, Barney." Years ago, she never would have expected to fall in love with Barney Stinson, but so many things had changed.

"I love you too, Scherbatsky. Let's eat," Barney replied. He and Robin sat down at their table to eat one of their favorite meals together.

"You want to go to MacLaren's tonight?" Robin asked. Despite the fact that Ted had a newborn, everyone still went to the bar. It was their thing.

"We'll call Marshall and Lily," Barney answered. Ted and Morgan were probably busy with Christopher. He was an adorable baby, but Barney and Robin were happy to just be an uncle and aunt. They didn't want any kids of their own.

"Great. I love dinner." Robin really hoped that dinner led to something else. She just loved being with Barney.

"Thanks, Robin." Barney kissed his wife again after he finished eating his salad.

XXXXX

Ted and Morgan had opted out of going to MacLaren's, but Marshall and Lily showed up. They seemed nervous, and Robin and Barney had no idea why.

"Are you pregnant again? We're here for you if you are," Robin assured Lily. She hoped Lily didn't go through the grief of another miscarriage. It had been hard enough the first five times.

"I'm not pregnant again," Lily replied. How were she and Marshall supposed to bring up this subject? The conversation was probably going to be really awkward. Maybe their friendship with Barney and Robin would be ruined. What if Barney didn't want Robin to do it? There were so many problems with asking this question.

"We've decided we're done with trying to get pregnant," Marshall explained to Robin and Barney. He hoped Robin (and Barney, now that he thought about it) didn't freak out when he and Lily finally decided to ask.

"I'm sorry, Lil," Barney apologized. He had been hoping that Lily wouldn't miscarry, but it had happened again. He felt horrible for them.

"I'm sorry too," Robin told them. She could never imagine dealing with five miscarriages. Robin was still surprised that Marshall and Lily's relationship had survived despite their grief.

"Thanks guys. Marshall and I are actually looking at other options," Lily explained to them nervously. She couldn't believe she was about to bring this up.

"Adoption?" questioned Robin. She knew that the adoption process took a long time, but she hoped that Marshall and Lily decided to go that route.

"Eventually," Marshall replied. He and Lily might go the adoption route in the future, but they weren't sure about what to do if Robin said no.

"What are your other options?" a confused Barney asked. There weren't too many other options. There was foster care, but he didn't think Lily and Marshall would be able to handle seeing kids come and go.

Lily took a deep breath. "Surrogacy," she finally said. Lily desperately hoped that Robin would say yes. She and Marshall would be forever grateful to her if she agreed to do this for them.

"Doesn't that cost a lot of money?" Robin questioned. She didn't know too much about surrogacy, but Robin figured that it was expensive.

Lily nodded. "Artificial insemination will be, but it's illegal in New York to pay the surrogate mother. You can in other states, but Marshall and I wouldn't be able to afford that anyway."

Marshall sighed. "Robin, you don't have to say yes, but we'd like to ask you to be our surrogate mother," he explained.

Robin and Barney stared in shock at the couple in front of them. "You want me to carry your baby for you?" Robin couldn't believe it.

"You don't have to say yes right away or even at all. You can think about it," Lily assured her. Her heart was pounding right now, and that was definitely related to the stress of the situation.

"Of course she'll think about it," Barney told them, ignoring the panicked glare his wife sent him. He and Robin needed to think this through.

Marshall shoved a list in Barney's hand. "These are the pros and cons. Lily and I came up with them last night when we thought of the idea," he explained. The pros and cons would hopefully help Robin (and Barney) with her decision.

"Thanks," Robin answered. She wasn't surprised that they had come up with pros and cons. That was just like Marshall and Lily.

"You're welcome," Lily answered. She was ready to bolt right now. Stupid flight or fight response. Why did they have to have that?

"We're going to go now," Marshall suddenly said. He and Lily got out of the gang's normal booth and bolted outside.

"I can't believe it," Robin said to her husband. She was in shock right now. How was she supposed to react to the fact that two of her best friends wanted her to be their surrogate mother?

"We'll go home and think about everything," Barney told her. He had never expected Marshall and Lily to ask Robin to be a surrogate mother. At least it wasn't like the situation on _Friends_. Why did he still remember that storyline, considering he hated that show?

"Good point," Robin agreed. She and her husband let MacLaren's and returned to their apartment.

"I'll support you in any decision you make," Barney said as he and Robin looked over the list of pros and cons.

"We should make this decision together, Barney. You're my husband. That automatically means that your opinion matters," Robin answered. She wasn't sure what to do.

"He and Lily were pretty thorough with this list," Barney observed. They had written out the list of pros and cons, but had also explained everything. He wasn't sure who, considering Lily was the teacher and Marshall was the lawyer.

"That's because of who they are," Robin pointed out. She was glad that Marshall and Lily had given her time to think. Her mind was a mess right now.

"Good point," Barney conceded. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't surprised that Lily and Marshall had asked Robin to be a surrogate. Robin and Lily were pretty good friends, and he and Marshall (along with Ted) were bros.

"Let's go to bed," Robin told Barney. Making love to her husband would take her mind off of what Marshall and Lily had asked her.

"Okay," Barney quickly agreed. He and Robin headed to their bedroom to not think about the shock they had been presented with.

XXXXXXX

The next day, Robin could hardly focus as she delivered the news to New York. After coming back from Tokyo, Robin had been unemployed for awhile before being offered a job at one of the top news stations in New York.

"What's wrong with you?" asked one of Robin's co-workers, Alice Darton. Alice was the anchor for the nighttime news.

Robin sighed. She really liked Alice and knew that she would keep secrets. "My best friend Lily and her husband asked me a surprising question last night," she explained.

"What?" Alice was really curious now.

"Lily's miscarried five times. Last night, they asked me to be a surrogate for them and I don't know what to do. Barney and I don't want any kids, but this is Lily. I would do pretty much anything for her." Robin felt a little better now that she had gotten it off her chest.

Alice stared at her. "You need to think things through first, Robin. Calm down and then make a rational decision. That's all you can do," she comforted. Alice secretly thought that Robin wouldn't do it. She didn't seem like the kind of person that would be a surrogate nor even have kids.

"Thanks," Robin said. After changing into comfortable clothes, she met Barney, Ted, and Morgan at MacLaren's. Christopher was with Morgan's father and stepmother for the night, so the couple had decided to venture out.

"What's wrong with you two?" Ted asked Robin and Barney. They seemed unusually quiet tonight.

"Nothing!" Robin cried a little too fast. She tried to ignore the looks that Ted and Morgan were giving her.

"You two need to calm down and explain to us what happened," Morgan told them. She hoped that she could help them.

Robin and Barney began having a telepathic conversation. "_Should we tell them, Barney?"_

"_It's Marshall and Lily's business, Robin. I'm not sure if we should tell them."_

"_Let's tell them". Robin knew that this was the right choice._

"Are you sure?" Barney questioned, unaware that he had said that out loud. He winced when he did realize it.

"Stop having telepathic conversations," Ted whined. He and Morgan could also do it, but telepathic conversations were really annoying when other people did it.

Robin sighed. "Marshall and Lily asked me to be a surrogate mother," she reluctantly explained. Robin hoped that Lily and Marshall weren't mad that she had revealed the truth.

"Are you going to do it?" questioned Ted. Morgan kicked her husband, and Ted winced.

"It's their decision. Robin and Barney need to think about this more and come to a decision together. This is not something to take lightly," Morgan said. She hoped that Robin made the right decision.

"Can I talk to you up in the apartment?" Robin asked Morgan. Morgan was a therapist, and Robin desperately wanted her opinion.

"Of course." The girls got up and headed upstairs to the apartment. They wouldn't be back for awhile.

"How are you doing with this?" Ted hoped Barney was okay. He couldn't imagine being in his place. He would be worried about his wife in Barney's position.

"I don't know how to react," Barney confessed. He could be dealing with a pregnant wife soon, but the baby wouldn't be theirs. How was he supposed to deal with this?

"You just need to calm down, like Morgan said. You and Robin need to think some more about what Lily and Marshall asked. That's the best thing to do in this situation." Ted hoped he was helping. He didn't want to screw up the advice.

"Thanks," Barney told him. He was glad that Ted was trying to help. Talking to Marshall wouldn't be beneficial at all considering he couldn't be partial.

XXXXXXX

"I'm not sure what to do," a tearful Robin confessed to Morgan. She didn't know why she was crying, but the decision was probably getting to her.

"It's your choice, Robin. You don't have to do this if you don't want to," Morgan soothed. She wasn't sure if she could deal with it. Giving up a baby, even to her best friend, would hurt.

"I love Lily and Marshall. They deserve to have a baby. I never expected to have kids, but this baby won't exactly be mine." Robin really wished that she wasn't crying right now.

"Ask them for a few more days so you can think clearly and come to a decision," Morgan advised. She hugged Robin.

That was a good plan. Robin decided to that because it was the best idea at the moment. She needed to think, and right now that wasn't happening.

Whatever decision she made would change the friends' lives forever.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own How I Met Your Mother or anything related to the show.

The next morning, Robin was thinking a little bit more clearly. She still hadn't made up her mind though, and wanted to talk to her husband.

"We need to talk," Barney told his wife before she headed off for work. They had to have an important conversation.

"I know," Robin replied. She was dreading the talk, but knew that it had to happen. Either way, the result would change their lives.

"Love you," Barney told her. He didn't want to ever stop telling Robin that. He would tell her every day for the rest of their lives.

"Love you too," Robin told him. The couple kissed, and both hurried out the door to get to work. They just needed to get through today.

The conversation and the decision afterwards _would_ change their lives.

XXXXXX

When Robin came home, she was completely and utterly nervous. She wanted to be the surrogate for Marshall and Lily, but she didn't know how Barney would react. Talking with him would be the best thing, and they could come to a decision together.

"We really need to talk," Barney said. He was also terrified to have this conversation, but it was important. Marshall and Lily needed an answer soon.

"I agree." Robin didn't want to start the conversation, but she hoped that Barney did. This was going to be awkward.

Barney sighed. "Marshall and Lily compiled a very good list of pros and cons. We both looked at them. What do you think?"

"I want to hear your opinion first," Robin confessed. She didn't want Barney to hate her or anything. That would be horrible.

"Robin, I love you. I know we don't have our own kids, but this is very important. Marshall and Lily deserve a baby. You should do this. This is going to be the single most selfless thing you could ever do," Barney told her.

Robin breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much. I've been thinking about this all day. I **want** to do this. You're right about me being selfless for doing this. I want to be a surrogate. I'll be pregnant, but the end result will be great for Marshall and Lily." She smiled at Barney.

Barney smiled kissed. "Let's call them and go to MacLaren's," he replied. He was happy that Robin had decided to be a surrogate for their friends.

"Okay," Robin agreed. She got out her cell and dialed Lily's number. Lily and Marshall agreed to meet Robin and Barney in two hours.

XXXXXX

"Do you think they'll say yes?" a nervous Lily asked Marshall. She wasn't sure by the tone of Robin's voice. Lily hoped that her friendship with Robin wasn't ruined.

Marshall shrugged, but he was also nervous. "I'm not sure, Lilypad. I'm hoping Robin does say yes, but this is a big thing to do for someone. It's going to change all of our lives."

Lily let out a panicked scream when Robin and Barney walked through the door. "I'm freaked out," she reluctantly admitted.

"Calm down," Marshall advised. He was worried too, but determined not to say it front of his wife. He had to be strong for Lily.

Robin and Barney were also nervous. "This is awkward," Barney sing-songed just to break the tension. He had never expected to have a conversation like this.

"I've decided to do it," Robin told them. Lily squealed. She and Robin got up and hugged each other.

"I hope this works," Barney said to Marshall, who was looking like he was ready to cry. The two boys hugged each other, but quickly pulled away.

"Thank you," Lily sobbed to Robin, who had also begun to cry. Marshall was crying himself, and poor Barney looked like he had no idea what to do.

"You're welcome," the sobbing Robin replied. She really wished that she would stop crying. This was not a good thing to be doing.

"I will never be able to repay you." Lily didn't know how she was ever going to give Robin for carrying her child.

"You don't have to," Robin assured her, finally calming down. She didn't know why she had had such an emotional reaction. She had just agreed to become a surrogate mother. Whoa, that was a weird thought.

"I have to," Lily insisted. If it took a few months for Robin to get pregnant, that was okay. She and Marshall would also have nine months to come up with a gift idea once Robin did get pregnant.

"How are we supposed to do this?" Robin asked once the four sat down at their regular booth. This was one of the most awkward conversations they had ever had, besides the one they had several days earlier.

"There are several options. We'll pay for the artificial insemination, of course," Marshall explained.

"We have enough money. We don't need yours. You keep it for that future baby of yours," Barney told him.

"And we'd love to pay for the artificial insemination," Robin chimed in. Barney knew where she was going with this. Robin probably thought that Marshall and Lily didn't have enough money for the procedure, and was offering to help out some more.

"You're already going to be carrying our baby," Lily protested. She and Marshall would come up with the money somehow.

"No offense, Lil and Marshall, but we want to help you in any way possible," Robin told them. They were going to try to do whatever they could to give them a baby to love and take care of.

"I still can't believe you agreed," Lily admitted to them. She had never expected Robin to say yes. Lily had been shocked when she and Marshall had received their answer.

"I realized that I had to do this. This is the most important, selfless thing I could ever do," Robin explained.

"We want to be involved in every aspect of this pregnancy," Marshall said. He wanted to make that clear right now.

"Of course you can be involved. It is going to be your baby," Robin pointed out.

The next year would change everyone's lives, but nobody knew that at this point in time.


	4. Chapter 4

The IVF treatments started a few weeks later. Ted and Morgan went along for moral support. They loved their friends and wanted to be there for them.

"I think we should celebrate because today is legen- wait for it- dary!" Barney cried after the first round of IVF treatments was completed.

"I can't drink," Robin reminded her husband. She was done drinking and everything else for the next year at least. IVF might not work this time, and could take a long time. Robin just hoped that Marshall and Lily didn't end up disappointed. That would be horrible for them.

"Well you don't have to," Barney explained. He hoped that his wife ended up pregnant with Marshall and Lily's baby soon. That was a weird sentence to think. It would be even weirder to say out loud.

"I think that we should make a toast to Marshall and Lily. We should all hope that Robin is knocked up," Ted declared. Morgan laughed at her husband, but was in agreement with him.

"You people are weird," Robin told them. She really wished that she was able to drink, but it was better this way. Somebody had to be sober tonight.

"Says the woman who gets Super Canadian on us when she drinks too much," Marshall commented. He loved Super Canadian Robin, though. She was awesome and hilarious.

"Just with Canadian beer," Robin defended. She had learned her lesson the hard way last time. She and Barney had just gotten engaged. They had celebrated by getting Canadian beer, and she had ended up shooting a hockey puck through their bedroom window.

"We know," Lily soothed. She and Robin had ended up in a fight after the hockey puck incident had occurred, but this time Ted hadn't stopped them. Needless to say, Robin's right eye had turned black and blue, and Lily had bruises all over her body. Marshall and Barney had pulled them apart before too much damage had occurred, although Barney had whined about it for the next week.

"I think we should go upstairs to the apartment," Morgan decided. She missed the baby, and wanted to see him again.

"Okay," Marshall agreed. Everyone left MacLaren's and went upstairs to Ted and Morgan's apartment.

"What's on TV tonight?" Morgan questioned after everyone settled in and got comfortable. Christopher was sleeping peacefully. He wasn't bothering anyone. The baby-sitter had just left to go home.

Everyone shrugged. "Maybe there's a sports game on," Robin suggested. She really wished that a hockey game was on, but it wasn't. Hockey season didn't start for awhile.

"No sports," Ted replied. He was sick and tired of watching sports right now. It got boring after so many games.

"I think that we should go home and get some sleep," Marshall said. Lily didn't look like she was ready to go home, however.

"I'm not ready let. We could watch a chick flick," she said to Robin and Morgan. Romantic comedies were okay in moderation, but Robin sometimes ended up crying at sad chick flicks, even though it wasn't like her.

"No girl movies!" Barney was adamant about that. He wasn't about to watch the kind of movies that Robin, Lily, and Morgan liked. He wanted a movie filled with action.

"Let's play a game," Morgan said, but everyone except Marshall groaned. They all knew that Marshall would win. He always did.

"We could go back down to MacLaren's," Lily finally suggested. There was pretty much nothing to do. Everyone had to be at work tomorrow, except for Morgan. She had off work and was taking care of the baby, though.

"Why don't we play with the baby?" Marshall asked. Playing with Christopher was always fun. He was an adorable baby.

Everyone agreed to that, and they went into the nursery, which was Marshall and Lily's old room. It had also been Robin's old room. "He's pretty cute," Lily whispered, careful not to wake up the baby.

"Hopefully, you two will have one of these in nine months," Robin told Marshall and Lily. Despite the fact that she didn't want any children of her own, Christopher and the baby she could be pregnant with would be the only ones that she would like.

"Even if you're not pregnant and this doesn't work, I want to say thank you for agreeing," Marshall replied. He was surprised that Robin had agreed, and he would be grateful to her for it.

"We appreciate you doing this so much," Lily explained. She just hoped that Robin was pregnant and there would be no complications, like with Lily's own five failed pregnancies.

Robin smiled. "Don't mention it, you guys. I know how much the miscarriages hurt you, and I want to give you a baby. You deserve it." She was just dreading morning sickness and labor. Neither sounded like they would be a great thing to go through.

She would come to know what those two felt like shortly.

XXXXXXX

"Baby, we need to watch your **Sandcastles in the Sand **video for good luck." Barney was certain it would work. The music video had let to him sleeping with Robin for the first time, and it had eventually led to the two of them falling in love.

Robin glared at her husband." I know I gave you that video after we started dating, but that doesn't mean we have to watch it all the time." Barney sometimes got the song stuck in his head, and began singing it. Thus, Robin would start singing it and slip back into her accent.

"Let's watch the music video," Barney pleaded. He and Robin weren't allowed to have sex because of the IVF. They wanted to make sure Robin was pregnant with Marshall and Lily's baby. It wasn't Robin's eggs that were being used. The baby would be biologically Marshall and Lily's, not Marshall and Robin's. The only way that would have been possible was if they had used artificial insemination.

"Fine," Robin reluctantly agreed. She and Barney sat down on their couch to watch the music video. Barney was eating leftover pizza, and Robin was eating ice cream. She was craving it. Robin wondered if that was a sign of pregnancy, but pushed that thought away. It was too early to tell. An ultrasound would be performed in three weeks to see if she was pregnant. If Robin wasn't, a second round of IVF treatments would start shortly afterwards. If she was pregnant, the pregnancy would be monitored closely.

The couple watched the video, but ended up getting into a slap fight over what to watch next. They were actually fighting for the remote, but lost it in the cushions.

If the IVF worked, the next nine months would change four people's lives forever.


	5. Chapter 5

The first attempt at IVF failed, but Robin, Lily, and Marshall were determined to not let that get them down. Barney was just trying to be supportive of his wife. He loved Robin and didn't want her hurt. Barney also didn't want his best friends or his wife disappointed if Robin didn't get pregnant. The tests done beforehand had said she was healthy enough to do this, so there were no worries about that.

A few weeks later, Robin went in for her second round of IVF. The whole group, including Tom and James, who had showed up as moral support for Barney and Robin, went with Marshall, Lily, Robin, and Barney.

"I hope this works," Lily murmured. Marshall grabbed his wife's hand and squeezed it. He was in agreement with his wife. Marshall and Lily couldn't handle anymore loss. Losing five babies had sent Lily to rock bottom and he was still struggling to pick up the pieces.

"It will, Baby. I know it," Marshall assured his wife. He wanted Lily to feel better. Marshall still thought Lily was clinically depressed, but she was hiding it well. Lily was putting up a front for their friends and family. Only he and Robin saw through it. Ted and Morgan were too busy with Christopher to realize how much Lily was hurting, and Barney was just trying to be supportive of Robin.

"Don't give up, Lil," Barney said. He knew the miscarriages had thrown Marshall and Lily off track, but they could get past that. A baby could help, but not help with their bigger problems. Marshall and Lily seemed a little off since the last miscarriage, and Barney couldn't help but wonder if they were drifting apart after being together so long and the losses they had experienced.

"I think I'll be knocked up by the time this day is over," Robin commented. Morgan stifled a laugh. Trust Robin to be funny when she was about to have IVF. Robin did always try to be funny in serious situations. That's why Robin had been put in charge of cheering Lily up after each of her miscarriages.

"Are you ready to go now?" asked Robin's doctor, interrupting everyone's conversations. She really wanted to get the IVF over with because she had a heavy workload today. The doctor just wanted Robin to get pregnant because of Lily Aldrin's five miscarriages.

"Yes," Robin answered. She was scared of the either outcome, but could do this. Robin just had to repeat to herself and remember that this was the selfless thing she could ever do for anyone.

"I'll see you later," Barney told his wife. He couldn't wait to learn if Robin was pregnant with Marshall and Lily's baby. Yup. Still a weird sentence, but Barney would get used to that. He had nine months too. If Robin did get pregnant, how was he supposed to handle his wife in pain when she went into labor?

"Love you, Stinson." Robin just wanted him to know that before she got pregnant with her best friend's baby. Barney was right. That was a really weird sentence. She hadn't seen the weirdness before, but now did.

"Love you too, Scherbatsky." Barney didn't go a day without telling her that. Even though the thought of Shannon still hurt him, Barney wanted to make sure that Robin knew. It was important. He didn't want her to ever think that he didn't love her anymore.

"Scherbatsky-Stinson," Robin corrected. She hadn't been just Robin Scherbatsky since the wedding, and didn't want to be. Robin loved being a Scherbatsky-Stinson.

"Doesn't matter. You're still my wife. I'll be here when you come back." Barney would never leave Robin's side. If they ever had problems, they would work through them. That was the right thing to do.

"How many times are we going to do IVF if it doesn't work this time?" Lily questioned after Robin left everyone's sight. She didn't want to waste Barney and Robin's money. It wasn't fair to them or to her and Marshall.

"Lily, don't think that way. We have to think positively. If, and that's a really big if, the IVF doesn't work, we could always try adoption," Marshall replied. They had talked about adoption before, but Marshall wasn't sure if Lily was up to that.

"Whatever." Lily really wanted a baby, and she wanted one **soon. **A baby was what she needed. The five miscarriages would soon be forgotten and her babies would get a sibling that actually survived. She had had a nightmare the previous day about miscarrying for a sixth time. That thought made her sad, but it would not happen. Lily had been feeling sad lately, but the baby would help her feel better.

"Are you okay?" asked a concerned Tom. He had only met Lily a few times, but she didn't seem like she was acting normal at the moment. She seemed happy one minute, and depressed the next.

"I'm fine," Lily informed him. She couldn't wait until Robin was out. She hoped her best friend was okay (and pregnant). So what if she felt sad most of the time? That was normal, especially after experiencing five miscarriages. Marshall understood.

Tom and James exchanged a look that went unnoticed by the rest of the group. "You'll love being a parent," James explained to Marshall and Lily. He and Tom adored their son, Noah, and couldn't wait to potentially adopt again. If the IVF plan fell through, they would gladly share their information about adoption to Marshall and Lily, although the way to adopt would be different since he and Tom lived in another state.

"How is Noah?" Morgan questioned. She adored the nearly six year old. He sometimes wore suits, but preferred to be comfortable. Noah adored his Uncle Barney, however, and loved talking to him all the time.

"Good. He's with Tom's sister for the weekend. She's pregnant with her first child, and needs the practice. Tom and I decided to take her up her on the offer," James answered. He missed his son, and couldn't wait to get back home, however. Noah would probably be calling as soon as he got home from afternoon kindergarten.

"That's nice." Marshall loved playing with Noah. Noah didn't like playing with him, because he always won at games. The little boy didn't even win at zitch dog, which he got upset about.

"I think you should come see Christopher soon. I left him with Ted's sister for a little bit," Morgan explained. Heather loved coming over to see her nephew, and hadn't the resisted to baby-sit Christopher.

"We'll go later," Tom decided. He had yet to meet the newborn Mosby, but had heard a lot about him from Robin and Barney, who were still content to be aunt and uncle.

"Do you think we should ask their ideas for names?" Ted asked his wife. They had asked Marshall and Lily that before, but that had been before five miscarriages.

Morgan shook her head. Barney, who was sitting on the other side of Ted, agreed with Morgan. "Bad idea. We should wait a little while," Barney told him.

Robin was back in a room a few hours later.

In six, everyone would know whether Robin was pregnant with Marshall and Lily's baby.


	6. Chapter 6

Six weeks after the second attempt at IVF, Robin was scheduled for an ultrasound. The ultrasound was to confirm if she was pregnant. If she wasn't, Robin would go through IVF for a third time. Marshall was unsure if his wife could handle the IVF not working again. She had been acting more bizarre as the weeks went by.

"I hope you get the news you want," Robin's doctor said to Marshall, Lily, and Robin before she started up the machine.

"I've been feeling pretty crappy lately," Robin admitted. She wasn't throwing up or anything, but there were some definite changes going on in her body.

Doctor Meltaera smiled. "If you are pregnant, we may be able to hear the heartbeat," she explained. Doctor Meltaera didn't want Ms. Aldrin and Mr. Eriksen to be disappointed. She hated seeing disappointment.

A few minutes later, Marshall and Lily got their answer on whether or not Robin was pregnant with their baby. "You could be knocked up," Barney whispered to his wife. She laughed.

"Congratulations. You're pregnant, Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson. Ms. Aldrin and Mr. Eriksen, let's hear your baby's heartbeat," Doctor Meltaera announced.

Marshall and Lily hugged each other. Barney kissed Robin. "You're six weeks along, of course. Everything seems to be progressing normally. Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson, I'll get you a prescription for pre-natal vitamins."

"Anything we need to watch out for?" Lily questioned. She didn't want Robin to miscarry. That would be horrible. Lily didn't want Robin experiencing what she had gone through five times. Besides, she and Marshall couldn't lose a sixth baby. That could possibly mean they weren't meant to have a baby, and Lily knew they were.

"Don't smoke or drink. Take things easy, and no stressing out," Dr. Meltaera ordered Robin. Robin nodded. She couldn't believe she was really pregnant. Robin had known it was going to happen, but it was still surreal.

"I won't do any of those," Robin vowed. She wasn't about to hurt Lily and Marshall's baby. She wanted them to have a healthy baby. They deserved it.

"That's good. Schedule an appointment with my receptionist for in a few weeks. I'll see you then. Good luck on your pregnancy." The doctor left the room.

"We need to celebrate," Lily declared. She was feeling happier than she had been in a while, and desperately wanted to share the news with everyone. Celebrating would also be fun.

"We should probably only tell Ted and Morgan. We need to be careful," Marshall insisted. He didn't back off even when Lily glared at him.

"Why can't we tell anyone?" Lily asked. She didn't understand it. Robin wasn't going to miscarry. She couldn't. Robin was perfectly healthy.

"Because we want to get past the twelfth week point," Marshall told her. Didn't she understand that? They had told everyone immediately during Lily's first pregnancy, but afterwards they hadn't. Their friends had only known about Lily's four other miscarriages until they decided to ask Robin to be their surrogate.

"Fine," Lily reluctantly conceded. She understood Marshall's point, but Lily really wanted to tell people that she was going to be a mother. That was important.

"I'm pregnant," Robin said in shock. She couldn't believe it. It wasn't her baby, but Robin still had a life inside her. She needed to calm down and start thinking straight.

"This is weird," Barney commented, trying to break the awkward silence that had descended on the four friends. They had known the IVF would work, but it was still something that had shocked them.

"We should go home," Marshall suggested. He wanted to sit down and talk with Lily about what the next seven months were going to be like. Marshall wasn't about to start buying things until after Robin was in her second trimester, however.

"I think we should too," Robin agreed. She wanted to talk to Barney and get his perspective of this. They had talked before, but everything was different now that she was actually pregnant.

The four friends went their separate ways, but not without promising to meet up later to tell Morgan and Ted the good news.

XXXXXXXX

Ted and Morgan were excitedly waiting for news of Robin's potential pregnancy. Morgan suspected that Robin was pregnant, but didn't tell her husband that. She didn't want to disappoint Ted if Robin wasn't carrying Marshall and Lily's baby.

"We should let Marshall and Lily baby-sit Chris soon," Morgan said to Ted. The baby was getting older, and she and Ted had only let their son be baby-sit by Ted's sister, his mother, and her mom.

"They probably will need practice for their baby. We really need to stop jinxing this." Ted didn't know if Marshall and Lily could survive not losing another baby. They had nearly fallen asleep after Lily's multiple miscarriages. In fact, Marshall had confided in Ted that he thought something was wrong with Lily, but he wasn't sure what.

"Agreed. What do you think we should eat for dinner?" Morgan asked. She was starving, and really wanted to eat. Plus, Christopher still needed to eat.

Ted shrugged. "I think we should skip straight to dessert," he suggested. He wasn't all that hungry, and Christopher would probably fall asleep soon anyway.

Morgan laughed. "We need to eat, Ted. We can't skip straight to dessert, however much I want to. I promise you that we'll make love later." She kissed her husband and went to go feed Chris.

Ted decided to start making dinner so his wife wouldn't have to. "Love you!" he called.

"Love you too!" Morgan called back.

XXXXXXXX

"How are you feeling?" Barney asked Robin once they got back to their apartment. He was worried about her.

"I'm a little nauseated, but otherwise okay," Robin answered. She was really dreading morning sickness now and had already decided to stock up on crackers.

"At least we won't have to worry about spit up and not being able to sleep," Barney said. He was trying to think of the positive things so Robin wouldn't focus on the negative. He had already figured out that even though he and Robin didn't want children of their own, it would be hard for her to give the baby up.

"You're right," a confused Robin replied. Why was Barney already talking about that? She was only six weeks along.

"You want to have a DVD marathon?" Barney asked. He and Robin had stopped to eat so they didn't have to make dinner. They had already decided to meet up with Marshall, Lily, Ted, and Morgan at 9:00. They would only meet up for half an hour, however.

"No. We should play a card game," Robin decided. She loved playing games with her husband. They were always fun and usually ended with them having sex, but Robin wasn't sure if she was up to that today. Everyone had received huge news today, and that was on her mind.

Tonight would be spent celebrating with their friends. For now, Barney and Robin were on their own. Sort of.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: How I Met Your Mother doesn't belong to me. No copyright infringement intended. None of this happened on the show.

Author's Note: Writer's block hit after the last chapter. Sorry for not updating sooner, but it was really hard to get back into the fic. The next chapter will be up very soon, I promise.

* * *

As soon as Robin finished with her first trimester (and the morning sickness stopped), Lily and Marshall decided to tell their families about the good news. Needless to say, the Eriksens and the Aldrins were excited.

"How are you feeling?" Barney asked his pregnant wife. He and Robin hadn't made love in months because of the two attempts at IVF, and because of the morning sickness that she had been suffering from.

"I feel great. You want to go have sex?" Robin asked. She had felt better today than she had in months.

Barney laughed. "Really?" He wanted to make love to Robin too, but the fact that Marshall and Lily's baby was inside her was freaking Barney out. What if their baby was scarred for life? Robin was only the baby's temporary home!

"Yes. I feel so good now, Barney. We haven't made love in such a long time and I want to," Robin explained. Was Barney freaked out about something? Robin didn't understand why her husband was acting like this.

"I have a headache," Barney lied. It was a cliché, but it worked, didn't it? Maybe Robin would even believe it.

Robin sent a glare towards her husband, but calmed down. "What's wrong?" she asked him. Robin was worried about Barney. He had been doing well with this before, but what if he wasn't anymore?

"Nothing," Barney lied again. He wasn't about to tell Robin anything. She was going to make fun of him if she knew the truth. Barney didn't want to be made fun of for something really stupid.

"Barney," she warned. Robin wasn't sure what was going on, but she desperately needed to know.

He sighed. "What if I hurt Marshall and Lily's baby? Or you?" Barney asked. He was worried about his wife and Baby Eriksen.

Robin laughed. She couldn't help it. Barney glared at her. "I'm sorry, Barney. That was the stupidest thing I've heard in awhile. Sweetie, you can't hurt either of us. The doctor cleared us to have sex. Everything's okay," she assured her husband.

"I love you so much, Scherbatsky. I just worry sometimes," Barney admitted. He would worry about Robin until the day he died.

"I love you too, Barney. But you don't have to worry about this. Nothing is going to happen. I promise you that." Robin stifled another laugh. She would really hurt her husband if she continued laughing.

"Let's go have sex," Barney suggested. He was feeling a whole lot better about making love to his wife now that he realized that he couldn't hurt Robin or the baby she was carrying.

"Don't say it like that," Robin scolded. She followed her husband into their bedroom and the two began to make love.

XXXXX

The next day, Marshall met Ted, Barney, and Robin at the bar. Lily was teaching, but everyone else had off for some reason. "What's up?" Ted asked his best friend.

"I think there's something really wrong with Lily," Marshall reluctantly told him. He didn't know what was wrong with his wife, but he was determined to find out.

"She has been acting weird for awhile now," Ted commented. He figured Lily's odd behavior was due to the fact that Robin was her and Marshall's surrogate.

"Maybe you should take her to the doctor," Robin suggested. Maybe a doctor would figure out what was wrong with Lily and help her.

"I'll make an appointment with Dr. Charleston for tomorrow," Marshall suggested. He wanted Lily seen as soon as possible. She obviously needed help.

"How are you feeling?" Ted asked Robin. He wondered how she was dealing with this surrogate pregnancy thing. It had to be hard, especially as Robin and Barney didn't want any kids of their own.

Robin glared at her ex-boyfriend. She was tired of that question already, and she still had months left in this pregnancy. The endless questions would probably end up getting really annoying. "I'm fine. I hate being in a bar where I can't drink, but I'm fine."

"We should choose somewhere else to go." Everyone turned to stare at Marshall. No one could believe he had just said that. They always went to MacLaren's.

"Why did you just say that?" Barney could see going up to Ted's apartment, but the baby was probably sleeping and Ted's wife would be unhappy if somebody disturbed the nap.

"It was just a suggestion," Marshall mumbled. He was never going to make another suggestion like that again because of the response from his friends, because they could get mean.

"It's okay. I appreciate you trying," Robin comforted. She had such a bad craving for pickles right now. She wondered if Carl would let her eat only pickles.

"Thank you, Robin," replied Marshall. He was very happy that she was on his side with this. Marshall might need her help in convincing Lily to go to the doctor's.

"You're welcome, Marshall. I need some pickles. Barney, go get me some, please," Robin ordered. She couldn't get rid of this stupid craving for pickles. Maybe she would dip the pickles in mustard. That sounded so good.

"You want anything else with it?" Barney questioned. He feared his wife's answer very, very much.

Robin nodded. "Mustard, please." Oh, maybe she would get a pretzel later on too. Pretzels would satisfy her salt craving.

Ted, Marshall, and Barney exchanged disgusted looks. "I'll get right on that," Barney said. He might throw up if he saw the pickles and mustard mix, but Barney was determined to satisfy Robin's every craving. That's what he was there for. Well, he and Marshall. Maybe Lily.

"Thank you, sweetie. I love you for this." Robin couldn't wait to dig into the pickles. This wait was driving her up the wall. What if she mixed the mustard and ketchup? Maybe they would be good together with the pickles.

Barney returned a few minutes later with several pickles and a bottle of mustard. He hoped them to Robin. "I hope you get less disgusting cravings soon." Barney couldn't handle anymore disgusting combinations. He might end up throwing up.

"Doubt it. Sorry, guys." Robin squirted mustard onto a plate and began dipping her pickles into it.

"I'm going to order chicken wings and go up to the bar," Ted decided. He would stare at Robin and that might not end well. He had gone through this before, but it had been somehow less disgusting.

"Good plan. I'll go with you," Marshall commented. He was a little thrilled and a little sad he hadn't been able to go through this with Lily. It was times like these that Marshall wished Lily hadn't miscarried five times.

"Take me with you," Barney whispered. He loved Robin, but this was gross. Barney couldn't handle her cravings at the moment.

"You have to stay with your wife," Ted told him. He struggled not to make fun of Barney. That would not end well.

"I hate you right now. I'm going to get you back for this when your wife gets knocked up again," Barney warned. He couldn't wait until that time, because he would make fun of Ted so much.

"I'd like to see you try," Ted taunted. He bolted over to the bar to order the chicken wings from Carl.

"How are you feeling?" Wendy asked Robin. She had heard about Robin's pregnancy a few weeks earlier, and was excited about it.

"I feel great," Robin told her. She was touched that the waitress was worried about her. It was so sweet of Wendy.

"That's good. You want anything?" Wendy would get anything for the pregnant newcaster. Robin had been going to the bar for years, along with the rest of the group.

Robin shook her head. "I'm happy with my pickles. What about you, Barney?" She wanted her husband to eat something.

"I've lost my appetite. Nothing for me," Barney said. He would snag some chicken wings from Ted and Marshall later, since he had been hungry for them for a few days now.

"You should eat, Barney. I know you're hungry. Do you want a pickle?" questioned Robin. She would order Barney some pickles because he wasn't about to get any of hers.

"I'm fine," Barney assured his wife. He sent Wendy away, but not without ordering another beer.

"You and I are going to have a ton of fun tonight," Robin vowed. She and Barney would make love several times tonight. Hopefully, Barney would be able to handle her rapid mood swings. This pregnancy really made her crazy, but Robin didn't care. She was doing this for Marshall and Lily.

"I can't wait for that, Robin. You want to leave soon?" Barney was starting to get tired and really wanted to go home.

"Sure, Barney. I want to go home soon. Maybe we should stop up at the apartment so you can get some chicken wings." Robin knew of her husband's intense craving for chicken wings, and she wanted Barney to eat some wings.

Ten minutes later, after stealing a few wings from Ted and Marshall, the Scherbatsky-Stinsons and the unborn Eriksen baby headed home.

Barney ate some of the wings after getting home. He and Robin watched TV for a little while, until they got bored with that. They began to make love on the couch, not caring where they were.

XXXXX

The next morning, Marshall called Robin over to the apartment to help him convince Lily to go to the doctor.

"It'll take us awhile to convince her," Robin told Marshall. She was really worried about Lily and hoped her best friend visited the docotr because there was clearly something wrong with her.

"It'll be worth it, Robin." Marshall really hoped that Lily wouldn't hate him for this. She had been left devastated by the miscarriages. Their marriage had struggled, and this just may be the catalyst to ending it.

"When's Lily getting home?" Robin wasn't about to stay at the Aldrin-Eriksen apartment for a few hours. She wanted to get home so she could have dinner ready for Barney. He would probably be hungry. Actually, Robin would probably be hungry. This pregnancy was really good for her appetite. She liked that.

"Probably around 12:30. The school is only in session for a half day," Marshall explained. He was thrilled for that.

No one in the group had any idea what Lily's diagnosis would be. They would all be shocked by what was wrong with her.


	8. Chapter 8

The Mosbys and Scherbatsky-Stinson families showed up at Marshall and Lily's apartment a few hours later to find out what exactly the doctor had found wrong with her.

"I hope she's okay," a worried Robin told Barney. She didn't want there to be anything seriously wrong with Lily. Wait. What if Lily was pregnant? Then she'd be the surrogate for absolutely no reason.

Barney stared at his wife. "Calm down, Baby. Worrying like this can't be good for you or Marshall and Lily's baby. I'm sure Lily is perfectly healthy. And don't think she's pregnant. I know that you're probably worrying about that, but you don't have to."

"You always know what I'm thinking. I love that about you," Robin replied. Her husband knew practically everything about her. She knew almost everything about Barney, too.

"We have been friends for a long time, and we've been together for awhile," Barney pointed out. Robin was his soul mate. Wait, when did he start thinking like that? Barney sighed. He might as well just admit that Robin had changed him a little.

"You're right. Hey, are we eating lunch with your mom tomorrow? I can't remember. The pregnancy has started to affect my memory, which is really annoying." Robin hated this aspect of pregnancy. Her memory was now a problem because of the pregnancy.

Barney nodded. "We're eating with her at 12:30. She wants to give you some of her old maternity clothes. They're probably really ugly, but you know my mom."

Robin didn't get a chance to answer because the door opened. Marshall and Lily entered the apartment. Lily was glaring at her husband.

"Are you okay?" Morgan asked, shifting Christopher in her arms. She handed the baby to Ted and sat down on the couch.

"I'm fine. The doctor and Marshall are just stupid," Lily snapped. She went into the kitchen to get some food. Lily was starving.

"The doctor says that Lily is suffering from post-partum depression. Even though she miscarried all of her pregnancies, the doctor says post-partum depression can still occur. He wrote Lily out a prescription for anti-depressants, but she doesn't want them," Marshall explained to their friends.

Robin shot a concerned look towards her best friend. "I'll go talk to her. Maybe she needs someone to help her accept the fact that she's depressed."

"I should probably do it. You're pregnant, and Lily probably doesn't want to see you right now. You're a reminder of everything she lost, even though the baby is her and Marshall's," Morgan explained. At least she wasn't holding the baby right now.

"Be careful," Robin pleaded. She didn't want Lily freaking out and getting worse because Morgan said something wrong. Oh, she was hungry. What did Marshall and Lily have in the fridge for her to eat?

"I will be careful, Robin." Morgan left the living room and went into the kitchen. Lily was sitting on the counter and crying.

"Hi," Lily sobbed. She hadn't heard any of the conversation taking place between her friends, and that was due to the fact that she was crying. She just wanted this to stop.

"Lil, you needed help. We were all worried about you. You need to get better," Morgan told her friend. She wasn't as close as Robin and Lily, but figured she had to try helping Lily out.

"I'm so excited about this baby, but it hurts so much to think about my miscarriages," cried Lily. She had been so excited during her pregnancies, but it had all come crashing down five times. Lily had actually expected Robin to miscarry in the first trimester, and had been so excited when it hadn't happened.

"I understand that, Lily. But you have to realize that you need help. Maybe you should go to therapy to help deal with your grief. Maybe Marshall can go with you too. He's probably really sad about your miscarriages too. And you should probably fit that prescription for anti-depressants," Morgan said. She hoped she had gotten through to Lily.

"I'll think about it tonight and decide in the morning," Lily replied. Her sobs began to slow down, and Robin bolted into the kitchen to get something to eat.

Morgan and Lily stared at Robin. "What? I'm hungry and knocked up with your kid, Lily. I need to eat," Robin explained. She would enjoy the cravings the pregnancy brought with it because she loved eating so much. It was fun to eat pretty much anything she wanted to.

Lily laughed despite the fact that she still wanted to cry. "Take care of my baby, Robin. I can't lose this baby," she told her.

"I'll take good care of this baby. You don't have to worry about anything," Robin said through a mouthful of food. She found leftover steak in the fridge while searching for something to drink and decided to heat it up in the microwave.

"Enjoy this for the rest of your pregnancy." Morgan couldn't wait to have another baby, despite the fact that Christopher wasn't that old. She and Ted were talking about trying again. Chris needed to be a big brother soon.

"I will. Don't you think that I won't. Being pregnant means I have a free pass to eat." The only thing Robin feared about being pregnant was labor, and that wasn't going to happen for another few months.

"Yes, it does," Morgan agreed. She just wished that Lily had been able to experience this, but hadn't had enough time before miscarrying.

The three girls went out into the living room to watch TV with Ted, Barney, and Marshall. Robin brought a drink, her steak, and some potato chips with her. She would probably eat some more after going home with Barney.

"Do you guys have any names picked out yet?" Ted asked Marshall and Lily. Lily seemed to be a little out of it, but everyone decided it was the post-partum depression. Hopefully, she would improve very soon.

"We have a few, but none that we're going to share," Marshall explained to his and Lily's friends. Actually, he and Lily just didn't want to be burned again. They weren't picking out names until Robin's due date was two weeks away.

"Actually, I came up with an idea in the doctor's office." Lily had been silently seething at her husband, but that hadn't stopped an idea from forming.

"What is it, Lilypad?" questioned Marshall. He hoped that her idea was a good one, although he doubted it a little.

"Since Robin's carrying the baby, maybe she can name it. Marshall and I just have to like it, and the two of us can choose the middle name," Lily explained to everyone.

"But that's a big job!" a panicked Robin cried. How would she come up with a name that her friends liked?

"Picking out a name is easier than you carrying our child for nine months," Marshall pointed out. Lily's idea was actually pretty good.

Robin sighed. "You're right about that. Okay, I'll do it. At least I have a few months. Can Barney help me pick out a name?

Lily nodded. "Of course Barney can help you. He can narrow down your name choices." She was starting to feel a little better now. The doctor had probably lied. She wasn't suffering from post-partum depression. Why had everyone believed her doctor?

"Thanks, Lil. I'll come up with a list for you as soon as possible, although it'll probably take us awhile to choose a name." Robin was so full. Why had she felt like eating earlier?

"We should probably go. You look tired. Robin, you should probably take a nap," Barney said to his wife. He worried about her more now that she was pregnant.

"I am pretty tired," Robin admitted. She hated the fact that this pregnancy made her tired all the time, but Robin had to remember that she was doing this as a selfless favor for her best friends. She had six more months left in her pregnancy, and that seemed like such a long time.

"We're heading out now," Barney told Marshall and Lily. He hoped Lily accepted the fact that she had post-partum depression soon, or this wouldn't end well.

"See you later. Take care of that baby, Robin." Marshall stood up from the couch. He hugged the two and then sat back down.

A few minutes later, Ted and Morgan also left. They wanted to spend some time with Christopher and discuss having another baby some more.

XXXXX

The next morning, Lily woke up thinking clearly. She had finally accepted the fact that she was suffering from post-partum depression. "I'm going to fill my prescription for the anti-depressants," she told Marshall.

Marshall sighed in relief. "I'm so happy you accepted that you're sick," he replied. He and Lily could finally began to plan for the baby without him worrying about what was wrong with his wife. She could even be happy again.

"I love you, Marshmallow." Lily couldn't believe she hadn't said those words to her husband in months. She was starting to see things a little bit clearly.

"I love you too, Lilypad. So much." Marshall kissed Lily. The two headed to the bed and began to make love.

Afterwards, Lily got ready for work and went to school. Marshall went to the bar, since he had the day off.

"Morgan and I are thinking about having another baby. She wants to get pregnant again soon," Ted explained. He loved Christopher and having another baby would be really nice.

"Good for you, Ted. Do you guys want a small age difference? Because it seems like you will have one." Marshall loved MacLaren's, but couldn't wait to go back to work tomorrow. Ted had taken today off to be with Marshall, and it was okay to do that since he had his own architectural firm.

"We do want a small age difference. Two years at least, and four years at the most. A bigger age difference than that wouldn't be good, I don't think." He and Heather had a big age difference, and he treated her more like a daughter than a sister sometimes.

"Good plan. Lily and I haven't discussed having a second child at all. We've been too worried about having the first. Maybe we could adopt the next one." Adopting a second child seemed like a really good idea. Maybe he could bring up that idea to Lily in a few years, when the baby was older. Or Robin could be their surrogate again, but he doubted that she would say yes next time.

"Adoption would be perfect for you two. You and Lily would be great adoptive parents," Ted told Marshall. They would love any children they had, and their unborn baby was no exception.

"Lily's getting her prescription filled!" an excited Marshall explained to his best friend. He couldn't keep the news in anymore.

"That's great. Maybe she'll get back to normal soon. It's been awhile since Lily was actually herself." Ted couldn't wait to see a normal Lily again. He had missed her.

Marshall nodded. "You want to call up Barney and go play some laser tag or something?" He was really bored.

"Sure," Ted agreed. He was bored too. Barney would liven up his day a little bit, before he went home to Morgan and Christopher.

Marshall called Barney. He and Ted agreed to meet Barney at a laser tag place, but not the same one that he and Robin always went to. That was their special place.

XXXXX

A month later, Lily was nearly completely back to her old self. A five months pregnant Robin was showing a whole lot more. She was starting to complain about the fact that her feet were starting to swell.

"I can't wait until I have this baby. This pregnancy thing is a little annoying," Robin complained. She loved that she was doing this selfless thing for Marshall and Lily, but Robin never realized how bad it would get. She was just glad that the morning sickness was gone for good. The only food that made her nauseated was broccoli, oddly enough.

"It gets worse," Morgan sing-songed, but stopped when the pregnant woman glared at her. She had forgotten about all of these pregnancy symptoms, but that didn't deter Morgan from wanting another baby. She and Ted were officially trying for their second child, and they hoped to conceive again soon.

"Don't you two find out what you're having at the ultrasound in your twentieth week?" asked Ted. He and Morgan had decided not to find out what they were having during her pregnancy with Christopher, but he remembered that twenty weeks was the point where they could find out the gender of the baby.

Robin, Marshall, and Lily nodded. "We're going to start planning the nursery after finding out in a few weeks," Lily explained. She couldn't wait to start decorating the nursery. It was going to be so much fun. She and Marshall had never got to that party during her five pregnancies.

"I'll help you out," Morgan promised. She wouldn't paint the walls just in case she was pregnant by that point, but she would help out as much as she could. It sounded like fun to help someone else decorate a nursery. It hadn't been fun for her and Ted to do it, but this was a completely different situation.

"Thanks. Marshall and I will appreciate your help very much," Lily replied. She wondered whether she and her husband would be buying blue outfits or pink outfits in a few weeks. Both would be very adorable.

"You're welcome. Ted, we're going home now," Morgan ordered. She and Ted were putting Christopher to bed and making love. Hopefully, they conceived tonight.

"Okay! Bye guys!" Ted called as he and Morgan bolted out of the bar. They ran upstairs to the apartment. Maybe tonight would be the night that he and Morgan conceived their second child. That would be great.

XXXXXX

A few weeks later, Robin went to the doctor's for an ultrasound. Barney went along for moral support, while Marshall and Lily went with her to see their unborn baby. The baby was kicking his or her aunt a lot, but Robin didn't mind as long as it wasn't a kidney shot.

"Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson!" called a nurse. Robin and Lily were both visibly nervous, but Marshall and Barney were both calm.

"Let's do this," Robin said. She sat down on the bed and grabbed Barney's hand. He always calmed her down when she was freaked out.

"Everything is going to be okay. Just remember that I love you," Barney soothed. He knew that calming his wife down was a priority, because stress wasn't good for her or the baby.

Robin smiled. "You're so great," she whispered. Robin still couldn't believe that she had been introduced to the group because of Ted, and had fallen in love with Barney.

"You're great too," Barney replied. He couldn't wait to find out what Marshall and Lily were going to have.

The doctor came in a few minutes later. "Hello, everyone. Let's see how everything's going. How are you feeling, Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson?"

"Pregnant," Robin deadpanned. She couldn't believe she had to go through a few more months of this. It was going to be really hard.

The doctor laughed. "That's expected. Okay, let's get this ultrasound done."

"I wonder whether we're going to have a little boy or a little girl," an excited Lily whispered to Marshall. She wondered if the ultrasound was going to reveal twins. Could she and her husband handle that? IVF sometimes led to twins. It was a risk she and Marshall could most likely deal with.

"This is going to be awesome," Marshall whispered back. He couldn't wait to see his unborn son or daughter.

A few minutes later, the heartbeat echoed across the room. Lily was crying, despite the fact that she had heard the heartbeat before. Robin was also crying, but she didn't know why. She blamed it on the pregnancy hormones.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Eriksen. You're having a little girl," the doctor told Marshall and Lily. Lily didn't even care that Robin's OB/GYN hadn't called her Mrs. Aldrin, since she was looking at her daughter on the screen.

"Look at her," Robin said in shock. She couldn't believe she was giving Marshall and Lily a daughter.

"She's beautiful," Marshall commented. Although this was just a grainy picture of his little girl, she was still beautiful.

"Can we get two copies of this?" Lily questioned. She figured that Robin and Barney probably wanted a copy of their own.

"Of course, Mrs. Aldrin. I'll have two copies printed out. Congratulations. Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson, make an appointment at the front counter. I'll see you then. Congratulations again." The doctor left.

"I'm happy for you two," Barney said to Marshall and Lily. He was thrilled for his two best friends. They would spoil their daughter.

"I can't stop crying and I don't know why," Robin sobbed. Lily pulled her in for a hug. The two girls were crying together.

"Me neither," Lily cried. She didn't know why she was so emotional, but it was okay. The situation called for some emotions. She and Marshall were going to have a daughter! This was the best news they had received since Robin had become pregnant.

"Let's go," Marshall whispered to his wife. Barney grabbed Robin's hand and Marshall grabbed Lily's. The four left the doctor's office and headed over to Ted and Morgan's apartment.

"What's the news?" asked Morgan. She was excited to find out if Marshall and Lily were having a boy or a girl. Maybe Christopher could have someone to play with.

"It's a girl!" Marshall happily informed his two friends. He couldn't wait to buy cute little baby clothes for Baby Girl Eriksen. Wait, he was getting too involved in the clothes aspect of this. He had to leave that to Lily, Robin, and Morgan.

Morgan squealed. "Congratulations. I'm so happy for you guys!" she told them. Maybe Christopher and the little Eriksen girl would grow up and marry each other someday.

"Good luck with a girl. You're going to have to deal with boys," Ted taunted Marshall. He hoped that his not conceived yet next child was going to be another boy, although he did wish for a girl sometimes. Dealing with girls was going to be hard.

"There will no boys around my daughter ever. Except for Sam and Christopher," Marshall immediately declared. No boy would ever touch that little girl.

"Let's go shopping over the weekend," Robin said. Buying stuff for Marshall and Lily's baby seemed like a really good plan. She wouldn't be able to help decorate the nursery because of her pregnancy.

"Okay," Lily agreed. Morgan nodded. She would gladly go shopping with Robin and Lily. It was going to be really fun.

XXXXX

"Look at this outfit," Lily said, showing the dress to her two female friends. It was so adorable. She liked so many outfits, and it was hard to choose between them.

"It is adorable." Morgan hoped to have a daughter next time she got pregnant. She hoped the conception would be soon. She and Ted were excited about possibly having a second child.

"Don't dress her too girly." Robin didn't want Marshall and Lily's daughter to grow up and become a teenage pop star. Oh, this was giving her flashbacks to Robin Sparkles.

"I won't," Lily lied. Her daughter might end up being a very big girly-girl, but that was okay. She would be spoiled for being the wanted Eriksen baby. It had taken so many tries. Lily hoped nothing went wrong, and it probably wouldn't.

"Are you and Barney ever going to have a baby of your own?" a curious Morgan questioned Robin. She knew that neither wanted children of their own, but maybe the pregnancy was changing their minds.

Robin shrugged. "Before I decided to be a surrogate and got pregnant, I would have said no. Now I don't know," she admitted. Barney loved Sam and Christopher so much. He adored kids.

"Have you discussed this with Barney?" Lily knew this was something that her friends needed to discuss. Having a child was a big decision.

Robin shook her head. "I only started thinking about having a baby of my own after the ultrasound the other day. Who knows what Barney is thinking." She was actually scared to talk to Barney about trying for their own baby.

"You should talk it over soon," Morgan advised. Things could blow up in Robin's face if she didn't talk it over with her husband.

"I will." Robin had to go to the bathroom. The baby was sitting on her bladder. She hated these frequent trips to the bathroom. They sucked so much.

After Robin came out of the bathroom, Lily paid for some outfits and the girls went out to eat at a nearby restaurant.

XXXXXXX

Later that night, Barney and Robin were laying down together on the couch, watching TV. The couple weren't planning on doing anything out. Ted and Morgan were still planning for a baby, while Marshall and Lily had started figuring out the nursery.

"You feeling okay?" Barney asked his wife. He still worried about her a lot. Barney couldn't help it. He loved Robin. He also loved his unborn niece.

"I'm feeling great for the first time in a long time," Robin replied. She was nervous about bringing up the subject of a baby with her husband and didn't know why. It's not like he was immediately going to shoot the idea down.

"What's on your mind?" Barney knew his wife. He had figured out that Robin was thinking of something serious, and was freaked out about talking about it.

Robin sat up. "How do you feel about having our own baby someday? I've been thinking about it for awhile." Yeah, she was definitely scared of Barney's reaction.

"You've been worrying about this for awhile now, haven't you, Baby? I don't know. A baby of our own would be nice, but you don't want a baby." Barney loved Robin, and having a baby that looked like her would be legen –wait for it- dary.

"I think I changed my mind. And you didn't say anything about you not wanting a baby. What do you think?" Robin wasn't scared of his reaction now, just his answer.

"A baby would be a great idea as long as you're fine with the idea. I would love to have a son or daughter with you, Robin. I love you so much. Maybe we should discuss it after you give birth," he told his wife.

"We can wait until after I give birth to Marshall and Lily's baby," Robin agreed. That was a few months from now, so she and Barney had plenty of time to decide what they were going to do.

"You want me to rub your feet?" Barney knew how swollen Robin's ankles were, and how much they and her feet hurt. He was determined to pamper her. She deserved to be pampered.

Robin nodded and laid her head down on Barney's shoulder. "Love you," she murmured. Robin was so tired. Her eyes started to close as Barney began to massage her feet.

"Love you too," Barney replied. He would move his wife soon. Falling asleep on the couch was never a good idea, especially since Robin was pregnant.

About twenty minutes later, Barney picked up Robin from the couch, despite the fact that it was really hard with how big she was getting, and took her into the bed. He put her in bed and tucked her in. He fell asleep a few minutes later.

XXXXX

"I should probably go on maternity leave soon. I wanted to work until my due date, but I don't think I can," Robin told the group a few months later. The seven months pregnant woman hated hanging out in the usual booth at MacLaren's. Her back hurt because of it.

"You can probably start soon," Lily told her. She had looked into Robin's maternity leave plan a few months ago, and it was a really good one.

"You should do what's best for you and Baby Girl Eriksen," Barney commented. He would love spending more time with his wife, even though it was getting harder and harder to make love. Robin was getting too big to really do anything.

"Do you have a name for her yet?" questioned Marshall. He and Lily were going crazy waiting to find out what name Robin had picked.

"Not yet. Barney and I have a top ten list. We're going to get to the top five next month and narrow it down from there," Robin explained.

The next two months would go by quickly for Ted, Morgan, Lily, Marshall, Robin, and Barney.


	9. Chapter 9

Robin groaned in pain as another contraction hit. She was nine centimeters dilated, and the labor was going fast. "Make it stop hurting," she pleaded. Robin couldn't take this pain anymore.

"I'm sorry, Robin. I would if I could," Barney soothed, grabbing his wife's hand. Marshall and Lily were on her other side, and Lily was holding her other hand. Ted and Morgan were out in the waiting room because there were already too many people in the room with Robin.

"I want this to be over soon," Robin sobbed as the contraction finally ended. She knew that contractions would hurt a lot, but she had never expected them to hurt this badly.

"It will be," Lily comforted. She couldn't wait to meet her baby, but she felt horribly for her best friend. Robin's back had been hurting all day, and no one had realized she was in labor until her water broke. She was too far along in the labor to get an epidural, something the group of friends wished she had.

"I love you so much. Everything's going to be okay," Barney said. He didn't want Robin to experience this ever again. If he and his wife had a baby of their own, it would be with an epidural.

"I can't believe women go through this every day," sobbed Robin. She couldn't wait to have Marshall and Lily's daughter. At least the pain would finally be over.

"You're going to be fine soon, Baby." Barney hoped that Robin's labor continued to progress and she gave birth. It was driving him up the wall not being able to help Robin get through this.

The doctor on call –Dr. Davison- came into the room. Robin's regular doctor had been injured in a car accident a few days earlier and hadn't returned to work yet. "How are you feeling, Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson?" she questioned.

"I want this baby out of me," Robin explained, wishing that another contraction wasn't about to hit. Her thoughts didn't deter the next one, however. She groaned in pain again.

"I know you do, Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson. Let me just check to see if you're ready to start pushing yet," Dr. Davison replied.

"You are the best friend ever," Lily told Robin. She and Marshall definitely needed to make this up to Robin somehow. She deserved a gift for willingly going through this pain.

"I hate you all right now," Robin spat out as the contraction finally began to wane. She hated everyone at this very moment. They should all go drown themselves and leave her alone.

"We understand your hate right now," Marshall answered. He couldn't blame Robin for lashing out at everyone in sight. He was a little scared of her, though. Robin in labor was really mean, compared to the hormonally charged pregnant Robin. During her pregnancy, she had had some mood swings that left the group scared, but not like this.

"Sorry, Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson. You're e still nine centimeters dilated. You'll be at ten centimeters soon enough, and then you can start pushing," Dr. Davison explained. She would come back into the room in a half hour.

Robin glared at her. "You're evil." She was really craving some chicken wings right now, but that wasn't an option. At least she could go back to drinking alcoholic beverages soon. She hadn't had anything alcoholic since the first attempt at IVF. That had been over a year ago.

Dr. Davison laughed. "I've heard that a lot. I'll be back in a half hour. I hope you'll work your way to ten centimeters by the time I get back." The doctor left the room and went to go check on another patient.

"I'm hungry," Robin whined. Her only choices were ice chips and the crappy hospital cafeteria food. Robin didn't like those choices very much.

"I'll get you something." Marshall wanted to escape the room, because he was scared of Robin. Besides, he wanted to talk to Ted and Morgan.

"Hurry up," Barney frantically whispered. He didn't think that he and Lily could handle Robin in pain on their own.

Marshall laughed. "I will hurry up. See you three, hopefully four, soon." He practically bolted out of Robin's room and headed towards the waiting room.

"Is the baby here yet?" asked Morgan. She and Ted were anxiously awaiting the arrival of Baby Girl Eriksen. They were also coming up with names for their second child. She was three months pregnant. Morgan and Ted had successfully conceived baby number in Robin's sixth month of pregnancy.

Marshall shook his head. "I had to get out of the room. Robin's scary in labor. I have to go down to the cafeteria to get her something. You two want to go with me?"

"I'm hungry. I'll go with you. You need anything?" Ted asked his wife. He wanted Morgan to eat something despite the morning sickness.

"I'll have some something with chocolate," Morgan answered. She was craving chocolate, and hoped her morning sickness didn't kick in after eating it.

Ted laughed. "Okay," he agreed. He followed Marshall to the elevators and down to the cafeteria to get food for Robin and Morgan.

XXXXXXX

Half an hour later, Dr. Davison returned to Robin's hospital room. She had delivered a baby five minutes after leaving the first time, and wished she was going to deliver another one.

"Is it time to push yet?" asked a hopeful Robin. She didn't feel like pushing, but the contractions seemed to be getting closer and closer together.

"Sorry, but that's a no. I'll check on you in another hour. Maybe you'll be ten centimeters dilated by then. The baby is fine and so are you. I'll see you soon," Dr. Davison replied. She left the room again.

"I can't wait for this baby to be born," Robin informed her husband just before another contraction rippled through her body. She groaned loudly.

"Me neither, Baby. Just breathe," Barney encouraged. He quit talking when everyone in the room glared at him.

"You're not helping. She's going to kill you," Lily hissed. Barney was sometimes helpful at this comforting Robin thing, but he also sucked at it a little bit.

Marshall laughed. "She's in too much pain to kill any of us." He really hoped that Robin had his daughter soon. He couldn't wait to meet his little girl. She was going to be so beautiful.

"Shut up and stay that way!" Robin yelled as the contraction finally went away. She was sick of everyone talking. Why wouldn't they be quiet?

"We're sorry," Barney apologized. He didn't know why he was apologizing, but figured that the apology was needed.

"We're really sorry," Lily tried. At this moment, she was thrilled that she wasn't the one experiencing labor. It seemed to hurt so much.

"We all love you," Marshall told her. He figured he had to try. It couldn't hurt anything, even if Robin was scaring him now.

"And we're so proud of you for doing this," Barney said. He loved Robin so much, and he was still happy about her doing this totally selfless favor for Marshall and Lily.

"I hope you guys like the name I picked out for the baby," Robin said as another contraction passed. She had looked through the baby books for months until she and Barney had chosen the perfect name.

"It'll be beautiful," Lily assured her. She and Marshall had chosen the middle name after the ultrasound. They hoped that it went with the name Barney and Robin had picked out.

Ted and Morgan came into the room. "We decided to visit you," Morgan explained. She and Ted had snuck into the room.

"Are you okay?" asked Ted. He figured she wasn't, but it didn't hurt to ask. Except when Robin was contracting.

"What do you think?" Robin snapped. She couldn't believe how many stupid questions her friends and husband were asking. What was wrong with them?

"Tell her that your sorry," Barney ordered. He didn't want Robin to be mad anymore, although that probably wasn't going to happen anytime soon. She was in a lot of pain.

"I'm sorry." Morgan figured she'd be the one acting like this in six months. She couldn't wait, actually. Meeting her second child was going to be amazing.

"It's okay. You're fine," Robin assured her. She wasn't really mad at anyone, but this hurt way more than she had expected it to. Labor sucked so much.

"See, she likes us," Ted told them. He was glad that he and Morgan had stayed out in the waiting room for a few hours. They had escaped Robin's wrath.

"Not for long," Lily sing-songed. She couldn't wait to see Robin go off on Ted and Morgan soon. Lily needed a break from all the yelling. She wanted to meet her daughter soon, too.

"Don't get her mad," Marshall whispered to his wife. He didn't want Robin to scream at them again. She was scary.

"I'm right here!" Robin snarled. She was sick of everyone talking behind her back when she was in immense pain. They needed to suffer too. Wow, she was mean in labor. No wonder everyone was terrified of her.

"How are you feeling?" Barney questioned. He felt stupid for asking, but Barney was really worried about his wife. He wanted her to have the baby soon so she could stop being in so much pain. He hated seeing her like this.

"Like I want to kick you," Robin answered. She hated being so mean to her husband, but Robin couldn't help it. He was asking really stupid questions.

"That's fair. I love you." Barney kissed his wife, despite the fact that she could probably kill him if she wanted to.

"I love you too," Robin mumbled. Barney was the best thing to ever happen to her, but if they had their own children, she was definitely getting an epidural. Robin was not going to take no for an answer. The doctor would get punched if she didn't get an epidural.

Dr. Davison entered Robin's room. "I came back early. I'm going to take another look, Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson. Hopefully, you've reached ten centimeters and can begin to push." She hoped that Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson was ready to push. Dr. Davison really wanted to go home soon.

"I hope so," Robin muttered. She couldn't take anymore of this pain. Pushing actually sounded really good right now.

"Congratulations. It's time to start pushing. Who's here to stay and who's leaving?" Dr. Davison asked. There were a whole lot of people in her patient's room, and she wasn't sure she liked that.

"I'm here for my wife," Barney declared. He wasn't about to leave Robin now. She was giving birth. He had to be there for that.

"We're the parents, so we're staying," Marshall told her. He and Lily weren't about to leave. They were going to meet their beautiful baby girl.

"I guess we'll go," Ted said, sighing. He didn't mind that much. Marshall, Lily, and Barney deserved to be in the room with Robin. He and Morgan returned to the waiting room, waiting anxiously to hear news.

"Start pushing," Dr. Davison instructed. She was thrilled that Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson's labor had progressed so fast in the amount of time she had been gone.

Robin bore down and began to push. Barney was holding his wife's hand, while Marshall and Lily were holding her other hand. A crack was heard around the room.

"What was that?" questioned Lily. She couldn't believe she was about to be a mommy. Five failed pregnancies had led to a daughter.

"I think she broke my hand," Barney admitted. He very quickly switched hands and gave the other one to his wife to hold.

"Sorry," Robin sobbed as she continued to push. This was so hard. At least she would give birth soon and Marshall and Lily would have a baby.

"It's okay. I don't care. I'll go down to the emergency room soon," Barney comforted. His hand was really throbbing right now.

A few minutes later, Robin was able to stop pushing. "It's a girl. Congratulations, Mrs. Aldrin and Mr. Eriksen," Dr. Davison told them. She did some things with the baby girl, who started to cry, and then handed her to the nurse.

"Congratulations. She's seven pounds, four ounces, and twenty and a half inches long. Her APGAR scores were good," the nurse explained a few minutes later. She handed Baby Girl Eriksen to a crying Lily.

"She's so beautiful," Lily sobbed. She was finally a mother. Lily couldn't believe it. She had a daughter. This was so surreal.

"Thank you so much," Marshall told Robin, looking over his wife's shoulder at the newborn. He was actually a father. It had taken so long to get to this point, and it was worth it.

"You're welcome," Robin answered. She was thrilled that she could do this for her best friends. And that she had finally given birth. Nine months of pregnancy was finally over, and Robin couldn't believe it.

"She's adorable you guys," Barney said to Marshall and Lily. His hand was still throbbing, but he couldn't stop staring at the little girl.

"Thanks, Barney," Lily answered. She couldn't focus on anything but the baby in her arms. She couldn't wait to take her home.

"So what name did you choose?" Marshall asked about twenty minutes later. Ted and Morgan had taken Barney down to the emergency room. Robin had delivered the placenta, and was now resting.

"Can I wait until Barney comes back? Because he helped me with the name and this is important to him," Robin explained. It was so weird to not have a baby inside of her anymore. Robin was used to constant kicking and bathroom trips.

"Of course we can. We've waited this long to have her," Lily replied. She had reluctantly handed the baby off to Marshall, who wasn't giving his daughter up.

About an hour later, Barney finally returned. Marshall and Lily's daughter was sleeping in her incubator, and Robin was fast asleep in her bed. She had finally succumbed to exhaustion.

"How is she?" Barney questioned. His hand was now encased in a cast. Ted and Morgan had followed Barney back up to the room to see the baby again.

"Which one? Your wife or our baby?" asked Marshall. Lily couldn't take her eyes off the baby, which wasn't all that surprising.

"Both," Barney answered. His niece was adorable, especially since his wife had given birth to her and she was Marshall and Lily's daughter.

"I know Robin's asleep right now, but I'm really impatient. What name did you choose for our little girl?" Lily asked. She wanted to hear the name to see if it fit her.

Barney laughed. "The name that Robin and I picked out a few weeks ago is Isabella," he said, finally revealing the secret.

Lily squealed. "Isabella is such a beautiful name!" she cried excitedly. It also went with the middle name. Isabella fit her daughter.

"Robin's going to be mad that you revealed the name when she was sleeping, but it's still pretty," Ted informed Barney, his arm around his wife's shoulder. He and Morgan couldn't wait to go home.

"I think Robin's going to be too exhausted to be mad. Plus, she broke my hand. She'll feel way too guilty about that," Barney replied. He wasn't going to throw it in Robin's face that she had broken his hand, because Barney really didn't mind. Robin had been in way more pain than his broken hand had given him.

"Good point," Ted conceded. He wanted to go home to Christopher. He was having flashbacks to his son's birth right now. Ted really couldn't wait until Morgan had their second baby. He hoped she had a girl. Their family could be complete. It would still be complete with two boys, but a son and a daughter would be nice.

"Why don't you guys go home now?" Lily suggested. She, Marshall, and Barney would probably stay for awhile. Lily really didn't want o leave Isabella. Isabella needed her mommy and daddy.

"I am pretty tired," Morgan admitted. She couldn't wait to go home. And then throw up, like usual, because that's all she seemed to do lately. The first trimester sucked so much.

"See you later. Tell Robin we say bye. Bye, Baby Isabella," Ted cooed. He and Morgan left and decided to head home.

"What's her middle name?" asked Barney. He was curious about it now. He hoped it went with Isabella. She was still sleeping. Isabella already seemed like such a happy baby, and that was pretty cool.

"We're not telling you until Robin wakes up," Marshall replied. He wasn't about to tell anyone that yet. Robin needed to hear the middle name.

"Okay. Whatever. I can't wait to hear her full name. I'm really tired," Barney answered. He didn't know why he had gotten so tired all of a sudden, but it was annoying.

"Lay down. We'll watch Robin and Isabella," Lily promised. She wasn't going to leave Isabella's side for a long time. She and Marshall weren' t sure if they were going to have another baby eventually, but Isabella was enough for now.

Barney nodded and laid down next to his wife in the bed. He quickly fell asleep and began dreaming about his and Robin's own daughter.

He woke up several hours later to find Robin staring at him. "Hi, Barney," she said. Robin was wide awake now. Isabella was in the nursery, and Marshall and Lily had reluctantly gone home to get some rest. They had immediately called their families to tell them the news.

"You feel any better, Baby?" He hoped that she was. Barney didn't want Robin to be in pain anymore. She didn't deserve that.

Robin nodded. "I feel a whole lot better. I'm thrilled to finally have the baby. So you spilled the name?" She didn't mind that Barney had revealed the name. She had been too tired to even remember the name before she fell asleep.

"Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson, would you like to hold your niece?" asked a nurse coming into the room. She realized that the surrogate probably wanted to actually hold the baby she had given birth to.

Robin nodded. "Of course I would. Barney, why don't you go home? I want to be alone for a lttle while. I'll be fine," she explained. She was tired of so many people being around her. Some alone time would be nice.

"Okay. I love you, Robin. I'll be back later," Barney replied. He got up and left the hospital. It was weird not having Robin in the apartment, but she would be home soon.

XXXXXXX

"Hi, beautiful little girl," Robin told Isabella. She couldn't believe that she had given birth to this little girl. She was so glad to have done this for Marshall and Lily.

Isabella didn't say anything. She just stared at her aunt. "I love you, Baby Girl. I know I'm just your aunt, but I'm so happy that I gave you to your mommy and daddy. I'm going to be the best aunt ever. I'm so sad to have to give you up, but I know that you're going to a good home," Robin sobbed. She wished she wasn't crying, but that was to be expected. Post-partum emotions and all that. Plus the fact that she had carried Isabella inside her for nine months.

She handed the baby back to a nurse about five minutes later and went to sleep. Robin woke up feeling a whole lot better than she had before.

"You ready to leave soon?" Barney asked his wife. He couldn't wait to take her home. This was the first time in a long time that they wouldn't have to worry about what she was eating.

"I can't wait to go home," Robin admitted. She would miss Isabella, but the little girl was Marshall and Lily's. Robin would just go over and visit a lot.

Marshall and Lily came into the room. Isabella was in Lily's arms. The new mother still didn't want to let her daughter go. "Hi," Lily said to the two.

"Hi back," Robin replied. She couldn't wait to hold the baby again. However, Robin wouldn't ask to hold Isabella again until later. She figured that Marshall and Lily should hold the little girl they had tried so many times for.

"So are we going to hear Isabella's full name now?" questioned Morgan as she and Ted bolted into the hospital room. Christopher was with Morgan's parents again.

Lily nodded and handed the baby off to Marshall. "Guys, her full name is Isabella Robin Eriksen. Robin did such a great thing for us, and we love her so much for it. You and Barney can take her for overnight visits as much as you want," she explained. Lily already knew how attached Robin was to Isabella, and didn't fault her for that.

Robin began to cry. "Thank you so much. I'm so glad that I did this for you. You guys deserved a baby, and I'm glad I gave Isabella to you. I can't wait to take her for overnight visits." She held her arms out and Marshall gave the baby to her aunt.

"When can you leave?" Morgan asked. She couldn't wait for Christopher and Isabella to meet. He would get some practice in being an older brother by playing with the newborn.

"I'm pretty sure I can leave today or tomorrow." Robin couldn't really focus on anything but Isabella at the moment. The little girl was yawning, and it was so cute.

"That's good. Can I hold the baby now?" Morgan really wanted to hold Marshall and Lily's daughter. She had been waiting months to see her.

Robin laughed and handed the baby over. "I can't wait to go home. Plus, I get to drink now and eat foods I couldn't believe. As much as I loved being pregnant with this cute little girl, I'm so glad I'm done with pregnancy."

"Are you guys having your own eventually?" Ted knew that his friends had talked about it, but he wasn't sure if they had changed their minds. He wondered if they were going to.

Robin and Barney exchanged a look. "We're thinking about it. If it happens, it happens. A baby would be nice, but we don't have to have one," Barney explained. He and Robin had settled on that plan a month earlier, and they would follow it. It would be fine if Robin got pregnant, but it would also be okay if she didn't get pregnant.

"That does seem like a good plan," Lily agreed. She liked that idea. Robin and Barney had been dead set against kids for years, and this might just work.

XXXXXXX

The next day, both Robin and Isabella were allowed to go home. It took a long time to pry Isabella away from Robin, but Lily and Marshall promised to bring her over in a few days.

"I'm so glad to be home," Robin told her husband. It was weird not being pregnant anymore, but she liked it. For the first time in a long time, she and Barney could enjoy time alone. Robin didn't have to go back to work for a few more weeks, and she would enjoy it. One thing Robin was happy to miss was sleepless nights. She and Barney didn't have to go through that. She felt bad that Marshall and Lily did, but it would be nice to get sleep.

"I'm glad you're home too," Barney replied. He kissed his wife. They couldn't have sex for six weeks, but he and Robin could handle it. They hadn't been having sex for a few months anyway.

"I love you." Robin couldn't stop saying it, but Barney didn't mind. He loved her too. Robin had known that for a long time now, and couldn't believe how oblivious she had been before.

Barney brought out Feely the Share Bear from behind his arms. "I love you too, Robin. I also realized you probably need somebody to share your feelings with, so here you go." He handed the bear to his wife.

Robin took Feely and went into the bedroom. She talked to the bear for two hours.

Robin and Barney visited Marshall, Lily, and Isabella the next day. Robin and Lily discussed what the events they thought would occur in Isabella's life.

The next eighteen years would pass by quickly for the group. It was going to be a great eighteen years , but filled with some trials and tribulations.


	10. Epilogue

Robin Scherbatsky-Stinson hurried to get ready for Isabella Eriksen's high school graduation. She and Barney had to rush, or else they'd be late. "Are you ready yet?" she called to her husband.

"Almost!" Barney called back. He just had to put his shoes on, and then he and Robin could leave for the football field, where graduation was being held.

It was going to take a little while to get to the field, considering that the Eriksen family lived in New Jersey. Isabella had been two when Marshall finally convinced Lily to move out of the city. The Mosbys went to visit a lot, but Ted still loathed New Jersey with a passion.

Barney and Robin had no children of their own. Six months after she had given birth to Isabella, the couple decided that they didn't want any babies. The couple was thrilled to take care of their nieces and nephews on the weekends. Of course, this decision had occurred to them in the waiting room of the hospital as Morgan gave birth to her and Ted's daughter, Melinda Vivienne Mosby. She was quickly nicknamed Mel by Robin and Barney.

Robin finally finished getting ready and bolted out of the bedroom. She and Barney left their apartment in a hurry and quickly jumped into Ted and Morgan's car. Chris and Mel looked bored. Ted must be telling stories again.

"Aunt Robin and Uncle Barney are here. We don't want to hear anymore, Dad," whined Mel. She was sick of hearing her father's stories. He had been telling them for such a long time, and they were really annoying.

"You'll be sorry," Ted sing-songed. He loved telling his kids these stories of how he had met Morgan. Morgan loved hearing the stories, but Ted wasn't sure why.

"No we won't," Christopher sing-songed back. He had heard so many stories that he couldn't keep track of them anymore.

"I wonder if Mark's going to be there," Morgan commented. Mark Stephenson was Isabella's boyfriend. Marshall, Ted, and Barney hadn't liked him at first and had been very overprotective of her. Mark and Isabella had now been together for six years and still going strong.

"I bet that Julie will bring Elizabeth," Mel said. Julie was Marshall and Lily's second daughter. Elizabeth was her girlfriend of two years.

"Julie and Elizabeth are always together," Barney pointed out. He loved his niece's girlfriend. She was a pretty nice girl.

"Sophie and Luke will probably be complaining the entire time about how hot it is today." Robin couldn't wait to see all five Eriksen kids. She had given birth to four of them, after all.

"They're always complaining. Except for Noah." Morgan loved the Eriksen offspring, but they had the tendency to sometimes drive their family up the wall. No one tended to mind, because they were usually nice people.

Three years after Isabella's birth, Marshall and Lily asked Robin to be their surrogate again. After talking it over with Barney again, Robin had happily agreed.

The IVF took the first time, and Robin became pregnant with twins. She had given birth to Julie Amelia and Sophie Olivia Eriksen nine months later. This time, Robin had happily used the epidural, but it had worn off about an hour before she gave birth to the girls.

"What are you thinking about?" Barney hoped his wife wasn't thinking about giving birth to Isabella. She tended to get really nostalgic during important events. Robin was really close with the Eriksen kids, and that was expected. She had carried them inside her for nine months. Who wouldn't expect a connection after that?

"The day I had Isabella. I was in so much pain." Robin hated labor so much, having gone through it three times.

"You were in so much pain? My hand got broken because you were in that much pain," Barney reminded his wife. He had been so thrilled when she got the epidural during her labors with the twins and Lucas.

Robin laughed. "I apologized to you multiple times, didn't I?" She still felt guilty for breaking Barney's hand, but he had forgiven her.

"You apologized about a million times, Baby. I forgave you every single time." Barney didn't mind anymore. His wife was given a free pass for that, being in labor and all.

A year after Julie and Sophie's birth, Robin was once again asked to be the surrogate. She accepted after talking it over with Barney, but was surprised by the request. Marshall and Lily had two babies. Technically, they had three kids under the age of four. Robin and Morgan thought they were a little nuts.

Shortly afterwards, Robin became pregnant again and gave birth to Lucas Barney Theodore Eriksen. Marshall and Lily had been so excited to finally have a son, even though they were dealing with four children.

Three years after that, Lily and Marshall had adopted a ten year old Noah. He had fit right in with the crazy family, and adored his siblings.

Ted and Morgan were happy with their two kids. Ted had gone in for a vasectomy shortly after Mel's birth to make sure that he and Morgan didn't have any more babies.

Robin and Barney were very happy being alone. Robin had loved being pregnant, but she just wasn't meant to be a mom. She was a really cool aunt and Barney was a legen –wait for it- dary uncle.

"I know. Love you," Robin murmured. She leaned her head against Barney's shoulder. Robin didn't regret marrying Barney at all. He was the love of her life.

"Love you too," Barney replied. If Robin fell asleep like he expected her to, Barney would wake her up once they got to New Jersey.

XXXXXX

Fifteen minutes later, the Scherbatsky-Stinson family and the Mosbys arrived at the football field. Barney woke up Robin as soon as they got there.

"I'm going to die in this heat," Morgan complained as everyone sat down in the bleachers. She didn't know how the graduates were dealing with this in their caps and gown. They had to be really hot.

"We've been here for awhile. How do you think we feel?" Lily asked. She couldn't believe her oldest child –one of five miracles- was graduating. She never thought she'd become a mother, let alone five times, and now her first child was graduating from high school. Where had the time gone?

Robin and Morgan laughed. "Good point," Robin conceded. She also couldn't believe that Isabella was graduating. It had taken so long to get to this point.

As the group of friends watched Isabella Eriksen graduate from high school, they all reflected on the path that had brought them here. So much had changed in eighteen years.


End file.
